"Well bloody hell, most of these guys have been on the cover a time or two."
Turning at the sound of the voice behind her, Maggie blushes at seeing how close Ian Lochlan is standing to her. Ellie giggles and Maggie can feel the blush spreading along her body and pooling in her thighs. There is just something about this man that makes all the women go a little crazy with desire.
"Happy New Year, Ian."
"Maggie, you look good enough to eat." Ian says with delight has he tucks a stray hair behind her ear. Gesturing to the approaching man he asks, "What do you think, Lorenzo?"
Lorenzo takes in the beautiful red curls pulled up to show off her elegant neck, down to the shimmering black Vera Wang dress that stops at mid-thigh, down to the peek-a-boo heels on her feet. "I think she is a vision and a great addition to our family here at the club, Ian."
Maggie smiles up at Lorenzo as she turns back toward Ellie. "I am going to make the rounds with the rest of the Drinks and I will meet you back at the VIP table for the midnight drink. Is that okay?"
"Of course, Maggie. Go have fun, I know I will." Grabbing Ian by the arm, Ellie tugs him back toward the owners lounge.
"Lorenzo, I will catch up to you in a bit. I need to go handle some business with Ellie." Lorenzo starts laughing when Ian picks her up and races away.
"She really is happy with the way her life is going, isn't she?" Maggie asks as she looks at the departing couple.
"Yes, she is. I think there were moments in the beginning that her human side was a little crazy about it but she is bonded to one man and loved by two. I think there are worse ways to live your life."
"Lorenzo, I have given the prophecy a lot of thought over the last few days and I have come to the conclusion that fate is inevitable. I am drawn to you. My body craves you when you are not around and I can sense you when you are. I don't know what darkness is coming and I don't want to dwell on it. I think we have the potential for something amazing here and I want to explore it."
Pulling her into his arms, Lorenzo runs his hands down her back and settles them on her hips. "I can't tell you how much that means to me. I feel like I have waited for you for eternity and you are now here when I had almost given up."
Maggie loops her arms around his neck and whispers softly, "Now you just have to put up with me forever."
"That will be my pleasure," he whispers back as he presses his lips to hers. Maggie sighs and opens her mouth as he slips his tongue inside. Shimmering heat races up her spine as Lorenzo possesses her lips. Moaning softly, she matches his passion with desire of her own before pulling back.
"I have to make the rounds because I am working tonight but can I be your midnight drink?"
Kissing the tip of her nose, he replies, "I couldn't imagine a better way to ring in the New Year than with the woman I want to spend eternity with."
"I will see you soon," she says as she turns away.
Chapter Seven
Taking a deep breath and tossing back the shot Mackenzie handed to her; Maggie hops up on the stool near the bar.
"So, I hear that you and Lorenzo shared a hot and spicy lip lock down on the floor."
Grinning impishly, Maggie says, "Yes. I can't deny that we are connected. Lorenzo believes that I am his Hunger Mate. I am going to be his drink at midnight so that shall tell us if fate is a cruel bitch or one hell of a matchmaker."
"Well, good luck with that. I know that he is an awesome guy and any girl would be lucky to have that sexy beast in her bed every night! We have fifteen minutes till the dropping of the ball so you might want to head down to the main floor. I am sure that's where Ellie and the guys are. I will see you the day after tomorrow because I am going to find that new bartender to go home with. Later, babe!"
Laughing at Mackenzie's antics, Maggie accepts one more shot from the tray being passed around and heads down to the main lounge.
Strong hands wrap around her waist and pull her into a body made of steel. Leaning back against Lorenzo, she can feel the tingling in her body getting stronger at this connection.
"I have missed you. I need to ask you something before the ball drops."
Turning in his arms, Maggie looks up into eyes the color of the forest after a spring rain. "What is it?"
"You know that when I taste your blood, the connection will start. When do you want to make the transition to vampire? I know you will need some time but I don't want it to be an emergency like Ellie's."
"I want to spend eternity getting to know you and building a life together. I am ready whenever you are."
Feeling the tension fall out of his body, Maggie knows she made the right decision. Tugging on his hand, she pulls him to the middle of the floor where Ellie, Ian and Jasper are waiting.
"I see she has made a decision, old friend."
Lorenzo smiles at Ian. "Yes, she has. We will make the transition in the next few weeks."
Ellie squeals and pulls Maggie into a fierce hug. "Our men are like brothers, so that makes us sisters! I am so excited."
Maggie gasps at the exuberance of Ellie's hug. "Still human, Ellie. Want to loosen up a little bit?"
"Sorry. I just got a little excited. This is the best New Year's ever. I am celebrating my life as a vampire, welcoming a new sister to the fold and I have two of the hottest men on the planet at my side. Oh awesome is my life?"
"I would have to say that I am right there with you, Ellie. I have a feeling the next year is going to be one new experience after another."
Hearing the music come to an end, everyone listens to the voice coming over the loudspeaker.
"Ladies, gents and vamps, we have about thirty seconds till midnight so grab your special someone or Drink and get prepared to bring in the New Year!"
Maggie wraps her arm around Lorenzo's waist as he pulls her in tight against his body. Glancing over her shoulder, she sees Ellie with Ian on one side kissing her neck and Jasper on the other.
Grinning at the happiness on their faces, Maggie turns and kisses Lorenzo. Her hands tremble as she runs them up his back and lace them around his neck. She allows him to deepen the kiss and the experience is unlike any other. Desire races through her body, pooling between her thighs causing her to shift at the moisture coating her panties. She can feel the electricity under her skin. Feeling his lips move along her cheek and down her neck, Maggie knows that this is the moment her Gran had been telling her about all of her life.
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three…
Pleasure explodes and Maggie moans at the feeling of pure ecstasy coursing through her. Her body moves in rhythm to Lorenzo's drinking, so close to the edge of release. Feeling his hands on her thighs she widens her stance, encouraging him for more. She sighs and clasps his head to her neck tighter as he slides his finger under the edge of her panties.
Her walls clench down on his fingers and she shatters as Lorenzo gently licks the wounds on her neck closed. Humming softly as she comes down from the sense of euphoria that fills her being, Maggie looks up at Lorenzo.
Happy New Year, Maggie.
Maggie is positive that she heard him but his lips didn't move. She grins with happiness as she realizes that the connection has been made.
Happy New Year to you, my mate.
The Lurkers
Danielle Bannister
Tasha could feel the spirit enter the room. Beyond the normalcy of the chill all spirits carried with them, this one brought a new emotion: excitement. Apparently they wanted to bring in the New Year in style. They were seemingly giddy that they'd just sucked out her partner Adam's soul while she pretended to sleep beside him. Agent Young, aka Tasha Young while undercover, was fully aware of what they were doing but was powerless to stop them. They weren't to break cover unless given direct orders, and so far, her earpiece was silent, which meant she needed to be too. The shadow that floated overhead now was eager for her to awake and scream at their handiwork. She, however, wouldn't give them the pleasure.
In truth
, she had no idea how long Adam would be stuck inside purgatory or if she'd even be able to get him out. Her powers as a Recoverer were strong, but only if she acted fast. Pulling a living soul back was far harder than a dead one. If she tried to revive Adam now, their cover would be blown. That was the sucky part of her job. The mission always came first. Adam knew that going in, but that didn't mean she wouldn't do everything she could to get him back. She'd never lost a crewmember before, and she sure as hell didn't want to start now.
A light breeze brushed along the bridge of her nose, signaling that the presence was moving; its mist-like form circled her. As a Recoverer, Tasha had the unique ability to see a soul's aura—or whatever it was called once you died. There was some trace of energy that lingered behind in the air, in different colors based on the mood Tasha sensed they were in. If they were angry, for instance, their auras were an ice blue; sad, a deep blood red; and if they were excited, like this one seemed to be, then it was like a burst of sunshine. Too subtle for the average Joe to see, but then again, Tasha was far from average. None of her crew was, really. Tasha may be the only one with a Certified Sixth Sense status, but Adam and Eduardo had been trained for hunting. Adam was the brains and Eduardo was the muscle, while she was the compass that led them to the spirit world.
Adrenaline coursed through Tasha's body. Her fingers ached to reach under the pillow and grab the trap that was hidden beneath it and end this charade right now, but she forced herself into character. Their mission was to stay undercover and capture the leader of this stubborn haunted house, and the Watcher in the room with them was too recently deceased to have any standing within the spirit realm. The one they were after must be at least a few hundred years old. Otherwise, the first team the Feds sent in would have retrieved him by now.
Stupid Feds. They were always regulating their missions. Ever since President Whitmore militarized ghost hunting, Tasha's job was more asinine than it should be. The number of spirits caught before ghosts were considered a "national threat" was twice as high as it was this year. Leave it to the government to ruin a system that was working just fine before they stuck their red tape all over it.
Tasha's crew was plan B. It meant that whatever spirit was lingering here really ticked off someone pretty high up. If her team returned empty handed, they would most likely be handed their walking papers.
She needed to stick to the plan. If anything went off-track, she was to report to headquarters at once for briefing. To do that, she'd have to find a way out of the house without arousing the spirit's suspicions.
Acting according to her rehearsed norm, Tasha stretched in bed and turned off her alarm before it had a chance to sound. They all played their role of the "Young family" quite well. Tasha was a legal secretary, while her "husband" Adam had come from a late night at the bank. The boy chosen to play their teenage son was actually a full-grown man with a shockingly serine baby face. While in the house, they called him Eddie, but at the office, he was Eduardo Ramon, the meanest and fastest ghost slayer this side of the Mississippi River, aside from Tasha, of course.
Keeping up the façade of a sleeping husband, Tasha tiptoed out their bedroom and glided gracefully down the hall toward Eduardo's room. She rapped against the door: four knocks, not the three she typically gave. This was the agreed upon code to signal if all was not right in the spirit realm.
"Time to get up, honey," Tasha sang loud enough for the ghost trailing her to hear. She got a twisted kick out of knowing that it would be furious with her for not noticing that Adam's soul had been claimed.
As she made her ritualistic coffee in the kitchen, she casually checked the clock on the stove. She had to keep her panic in check. They could sense sudden emotional shifts, but there wasn't much time left in which they could retrieve Adam's soul from the underworld. Twelve hours was the maximum amount of time she'd ever been able to breathe life back into a body. After that, not even she could save him. She wasn't prepared to lose a crewmember on her watch. In fact, she hadn't been prepared for this mission at all. It had been nothing like the file indicated. These souls weren't harmless, no matter what the Fed's said.
There were two types of souls Tasha had encountered in her ten years as a Recoverer: lost souls and the recently deceased. Souls, like Adam's, could be returned to their original body, if done fast enough, with only minor side effects. The lost souls were ones that didn't cross over as they were supposed to. They were the rebels. Those were the souls Tasha normally went after: the trouble makers, the ones horror stories were made of. They didn't go quietly. Tasha enjoyed nothing more than recycling their deviant souls into those that deserved saving. Her handiwork could be seen in those "miracle" recoveries of people who suddenly come out of long commas or survived accidents that no one could ever survive. To her, it was a good use of a bad aura. Unfortunately, a bit of those suckers clung onto the living, but it was usually passed off as post traumatic stress disorder—a condition coined by the Feds as a way to cover up the sudden personality shifts.
One good thing about the Feds taking over the captures was that she started making double what she used to. Because of the danger of the work, Hunters were well compensated, as they should be. She got extra when she recycled a soul. Those were big-buck days.
Most of the time, though, her job was simple: she, and the crew of her choosing, would be hired to go after the "sighted" ghosts still hanging around in purgatory. They would move into the haunted house and wait for the spirits to try and suck out their soul. When they got close enough, they'd pull their traps and call it a day. The plan was the same for every house they entered. They'd set the bait of a family with a woman—Tasha—and a teenager (the weakest of the humans, in theory) and just lie back and wait for the spook to mess up, which they always did. Why didn't they want to transcend? Was being reborn really so terrible? And if it was, why did they keep falling for our traps? Why didn't they learn?
But this time the mission was different, which bothered Tasha. They hadn't gone for the bait. They went for the presumably strongest in the house. Why? They always went for Eduardo. Always. What changed? Why had the Feds sent a Returner on a seemingly routine capture? Returners were hard to come by.
She knew of only five other Returners on the planet. Last year there were eight. Three died on the same mission while trying to expel a coven of old spirits up in Canada while under the Fed's new reign. That whole case had a stink of a cover-up, but Tasha couldn't get clearance to those files. She doubted many could.
Above her, Tasha could hear her "son's" feet moving along the floorboards, bringing her mind back to the present. He was going faster than normal. Her signal had been received.
"Good morning, Ma," Eduardo said as he slumped down onto a kitchen chair, per his usual. There was rigidness to his frame, however, that told her that he was alert and ready for orders.
"Morning, Eddie. You're dressed early," Tasha said, tossing him a Pop-Tart from the cupboard. "And a tie, even. What's the occasion?"
The crinkle of the silver wrapper echoed inside the newly retro-fitted kitchen. The plethora of stainless steel surfaces shone in the morning light like dull mirrors, allowing Tasha to spot what might be lurking behind them.
"It's New Years Eve, Ma. The seniors are in charge of decorating the stupid gym before the dance." He tossed his Pop-Tart down like a moody teenaged pro. He even gave an angst-laden fake groan to top off his performance.
Tasha put down her cup, thankful for his creative cover story. The sooner they got to the office the better.
"Well then, let me get dressed and I'll get you to the school."
She gave a small peck on the top of his head that lingered a bit too long to be kosher. Tasha couldn't help herself. It had been days since she and Eduardo had been alone and it was starting to frustrate her in more ways than one.
After she clumped up the stairs, she shuffled back to her bedroom where she pulled off her robe. Instinctively, Tasha knew she was being watched by no less than two spi
rits. They were male at one time. Horny ghosts made the air heavy, almost like walking through a thick fog. Female spirits, when aroused, were like feathers that danced across the body, making the hairs on your arms rise.
Frustrated by her unwanted audience, she got dressed as fast as she could. She pulled on a snug-fitting white blouse that would show the outline of her black bra perfectly. She loved riling up Eduardo. Smiling, she promptly undid the buttons of the shirt as far as was decently allowed for work and then went one further. As quickly as she could, she slipped on her black slacks that hugged her ass and wedged her feet inside her daringly high river-blue ankle heels. Her wild mane of copper-drizzled hair was tethered into a sophisticated ponytail, showing off the start of a tattoo that ran from her neck clear down her backside. Only a few lucky men had been allowed to see the serpent that coiled around her body. The rest had to make do with the snake's tongue that licked the back of her neck.
Eager to leave, she turned and looked at Adam, who was, of course, still unmoving on the bed.
"You look dead tired. I'm calling the bank and telling them you won't be in today. Poor thing. They work you too hard." Her thick rose lips gave a little pout as she walked across the room.
Time to find out what the hell was going on.
***
The door hadn't even closed in the conference room before Tasha was barking out questions to the team already assembled. By the look of the papers and their computer screens, they must have picked up on Adam's lack of vitals and were in the midst of planning a retrieval op. She was hoping this was a good thing. Tasha had never worked on a case where a soul was sucked away so soon and with such precision. It normally took a spirit a good six or seven months before they got up the nerve to try it. There was a great risk to perform an unsuccessful soul-sucking. If the spirits didn't do it right, their soul would mix with the living and merge with them for all eternity, eliminating their defiant roaming nature. These demons took Adam in less than two weeks. It was unheard of.
The Stroke of Midnight: A Supernatural New Year's Anthology Page 9